Airport Development

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the concerns and views of corporate aircraft owners and operators are adequately represented in his working group to consider the advice proffered to him by the Civil Aviation Authority in CAP 570 on airport development;

(2) whether he will list the representatives, corporate bodies, interests and individuals who have been selected by him to participate in his working group to consider the Civil Aviation Authority's advice to him in CAP 570 on airport development;

(3) what consideration he has given to inviting the representative body for owners and operators of United Kingdom registered corporate aircraft based in Britain to participate in his working group to consider the advice submitted to him by the Civil Aviation Authority in CAP 570 on airport development.

Since my right hon. Friend's announcement on 17 July we have been pursuing in more detail the membership and terms of reference of the working group which will consider the CAA's advice on runway capacity in CAP 570. We have had it in mind that the group should be properly constituted to examine all the relevant wider aspect of airport development, without becoming so large as to inhibit its effectiveness.

Many organisations, including representatives of business aviation interests, have sought a place on the working group and we are considering those requests in the light of the aim that I have described. My right hon. Friend expects to be able to make a further announcement soon.